--- Quote from: Daniel15 on June 05, 2009, 12:14:56 PM ------ Quote ---$smcFun array with links to functions is just about the most stupid thing I've EVER seen, and I've seen a lot of stupid things. You hide the functions you use in an array so that I have no idea where the hell this function is defined.

Also it seems SMF is re-implementing php functions as in "$smcFunc['strlen']".--- End quote ---As far as I know, some functions are reimplemented if UTF-8 is enabled, to support UTF-8 on specific PHP configurations.--- End quote ---To expand on this, not all PHP functions are utf-8 compatible, which is why they need to be rewritten. There are no lines like $smcFunc['strlen'] = 'strlen';;)

aldo:
Not sure if this has yet been stated, but it is pretty important I think it wouldn't hurt to restate it XD.

Software previews... or something like that. I know SMF releases beta's and RC's, but for certain projects, it requires more than that. Like TinyPortal (Though the creator of that is/was a SMF dev :P) and SimplePortal which use SMF in many ways is a tough thing to do and can take lots of time for the developers to get it properly working with the new version. Developers might get their projects working with SMF beta's and RC's, but each time a new version is released, a lot has changed and then their product cannot be used by clients for awhile until they have it working with the new version.

Basically, these developers need to be able to see what and how SMF is changing before a version is released. I don't mean SMF tell them first, wait a week or more, then release it. But in some way allow third parties to have some kind of access to know more of what is changing in new versions of SMF in a day to day basis.

Basically what I am saying is kinda like what Microsoft and Apple do... When they are developing the next version of an operating system, they give developers access to SDK's earlier than others, sometimes even giving them the whole operating system so they can test on it and what not. It would be a lot for SMF to do, but you could have some kind of team to do something like that.

So yeah :)Sorry if some things didn't make to much sense... I am sitting in a 90 degree room .-.

Orstio:
Yes, I've seen that in other projects as well. It requires some management -- the same as keeping an active list of beta testers. You don't want people signing up for access to the latest SVN just to have it, for example. They have to be actively developing a plugin/mod/extension.

It is a very good idea, as it also gives 3PDs an incentive to stay active in their development.

aldo:
Yeah. That is always the thing... these things have their ups and downs. But if you had a team which could manage that instead of having the SMF dev team (Who should be hard at work developing SMF XD) handle it, it would be workable. Probably slow at first, but after time, it would get better.

bloc:
I like this idea, and hope it can be something of. But I fear as with earlier projects, that time and manpower escapes it being set in motion.